Gary T. ERBE
1944, USA

Gary T. Erbe, a self taught painter in the medium of oil, was born in Union City, New Jersey in 1944 where he maintained his studio from 1972 to 2005. Erbe was employed as an engraver from 1965 to 1970 while developing his personal approach to Trompe L'Oeil painting. In 1969, he coined the term "Levitational Realism" which was a break away from traditional realism. In 1970, he made a decision which would profoundly change his life; he decided to pursue art full time. He has been painting professionally for over 40 years.
Erbe has exhibited extensively since 1970 with solo shows at The Butler Institute of American Art, Ohio, The Springfield Art Museum, MO, The Montclair Art Museum, NJ, The Boca Raton Museum, Fl., The New Jersey State Museum, The New Britain Museum of American Art, CT, The Canton Art Museum, OH, The Westmoreland Museum, PA, The National Arts Club, NYC, The James A. Michener Art Museum, PA; The Woodmere Art Museum, PA; The Alexander Gallery, NYC , ACA Galleries, NYC, Harmon Meek Gallery, Naples, Fl., Albuquerque Museum, NM, The Salmagundi Club, NYC and others.
A partial list of awards include The Julius Hallgarten Award at The National Academy of Design, 1975, Allied Artists of America Gold Medal, 1975, 1984,1991, 2006,2007 and 2010; Audubon Artists Gold Medal, 1998, The National Arts Club First Prize, 1997, The Butler Institute of America Art National Mid-Year First Place Award, 2002, Presidents Award , The Salmagundi Club, Audubon Artists Silver Medal, 2002, The Butler Institute of American Art Lifetime Achievement Medal, 2003; Salmagundi Club Medal of Honor, 2007, National Museum of Sport Gold Medal 2010 amongst others.
Among the many group shows Erbe has participated in are "American Art on the Brink of the 21st Century" organized by Meridian International in Washington, D.C. that traveled for 2 years in the Far East. "Still Life from Rembrandt to the Millennium" at The Albuquerque Museum, New Mexico, "68 Years/68 Masters" at the ACA Galleries, NYC, "True Colors: Meditation on the American Spirit" organized by Meridian International and traveling to NYC, Atlanta, GA and throughout Europe, Trompe L'Oeil Exhibition at The Ettinger Gallery, NYC, The Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin, The Albemarle Gallery, London, England, Vanier Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ, The Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK, Rittenhouse Fine Art Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, The Brandywine River Museum, PA "Trompe l'oeil Invitational Exhibition", amongst others.
Erbe is a member of Allied Artists of America and served as its President from 1994 to 2005, Honorary Member of The National Arts Club and Salmagundi Club, Audubon Artists, Artists Fellowship, The Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts, Trompe l'Oeil Society of Artists and America China Oil Painting Artists League.
Erbe has organized and curated many exhibitions including Allied Artists of America Members Exhibition at The Butler Institute of American Art and traveling to ten museums throughout the America, The Salmagundi Club Collection traveling for 2 years to Museums in America, "Henry Gasser, Beyond City Limits", traveling to 4 Museums, "The Pastel Society of America Invitational" to The Butler Institute of America Art, "The Martinos", A Family Legacy", traveling to The Butler Institute of America Art and The Woodmere Art Museum, Trompe L'Oeil Exhibition travelling for 2 years to 13 Museums,"Gabriela Dellosso: An Artist's Journey", "Paul Ching Bor: Watercolors"; "John R. Grabach: Century Man" traveling to 4 Museums, amongst others.
Erbe is listed in Who's Who in American Art, Who's Who in America, Biographical Encyclopedia of American Painters, Sculptors and Engravers of the United States, Who's Who in the East, Who's Who in the World and Davenport's Art Reference & Price Guide.
He is published in American Artist Magazine, July 1974 & December 2004, International Artists Magazine, Feb/March 2002, Best of Oil Painting by Rockport Publishing; American Art Collector, December 2005 and July 2009, Antiques and the Arts Weekly, July 24, 2009; Masterworks from The Butler Institute of American Art, 2010, amongst others.

BORN
September 2, 1944, Union City, New Jersey
1965 - Began painting (self taught)
1965 -1970 Employed as an engraver
1970 - Began painting professionally

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Allied Artists of America, Inc. President Emeritus
(Served as President from 1994-2005)
The National Arts Club - Honorary Member
Audubon Artists, Inc. - Honorary Member
Artists Fellowship -Former Board of Trustees
The Salmagundi Club - Honorary Member
The Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts
America China Oil Painting Artists League

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1970, Pace Gallery, Houston, TX
1971, Veldman Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
1976, New Britain Museum of American Art, CT
1976, NJ Center for Visual Arts, Summit, NJ
1979, General Electric World Headquarters,
Fairfield, CT
1979, Bergen Museum, Paramus, NJ
1982, The Alexander Gallery, New York City, NY
1983, New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ
1985, The Butler Institute of American Art,
Youngstown, OH
1985, Sordoni Art Gallery, Wilkes-Barre, PA
1985, The Alexander Gallery, New York City, NY
1988, The Montclair Art Museum, NJ
1988, Canton Art Museum, OH
1988, The Westmoreland Museum of Art,
Greensburg, PA
1988, The Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA
1995, The Butler Institute of American Art
Youngstown, OH (25 Year Retrospective)
1995, The New Britain Museum of American Art, CT
(25 Year Retrospective)
1995, The James A. Michener Art Museum
Philadelphia, PA, (25 Year Retrospective)
1995, Boca Raton Museum of Art , FL
(25 Year Retrospective)
1998, ACA Gallery, New York City, NY
1999, Springfield Art Museum, MO
2000, The National Arts Club Grand Gallery,
New York City , NY
2003, Harmon Meek Gallery, Naples, FL
2008-09, Albuquerque Museum, NM
(40 Year Retrospective)
2009, The Butler Institute of American Art
Youngstown, OH, (40 Year Retrospective)
2009, Salmagundi Club, New York City, NY
(40 Year Retrospective)
2009, Boca Raton Museum of Art, FL
40 Year Retrospective)

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
AND INVITATIONALS
1971, New Jersey Arts Annual, Newark Museum
1972, New Jersey Arts Annual, NJ State Museum
1975, 150th Annual Exhibition, National Academy of
Design , NYC
1975, 62nd Annual Exhibition, Allied Artists of America
1976, Trompe l'oeil Invitational, New Britain Museum
of American Art, CT
1976, Bicentennial Exhibition (Invited), New Jersey
State Museum
1976, New Jersey Arts Annual, Newark Museum
1977, 152nd Annual Exhibition, National Academy of
Design, NYC
1978, One Hundred Years of American Art, G.E.
World Headquarters, CT
1983, 47th National Mid-Year Exhibition, The Butler
Institute of American Art, OH
1984, 48th National Mid-Year Exhibition, The Butler
Institute of American Art, OH
1984, 159th Annual Exhibition, National Academy of
Design, NYC
1986, Fireworks: American Artists Celebrate the 8th
Art, Butler Institute of American Art, OH
1986, The Conn. Academy of Fine Arts 76th Annual,
New Britain Museum of American Art, CT
1987, The Conn. Academy of Fine Arts 77th Annual,
Slater Memorial Museum, CT
1988, 163rd Annual Exhibition (Invited), National
Academy of Design, NYC
1988, The Conn. Academy of Fine Arts 78th Annual,
William Benton Museum, CT
1991, The Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, NY,
1994, "More than Meets the Eye: A Century of
Realism in New Jersey" (Invited) Morris
Museum, NJ
1997, Survey of 20th Century Art, Butler Institute of
American Art, OH
1997, New Jersey Arts Annual: Choosing New Jersey
(Invited) Newark Museum
1997, 99th Annual Exhibition, National Arts Club, NYC
1998, Annual Members Exhibition, Salmagundi Club
NYC
1999, "Outward Bound:American Art on the Brink
of the Twenty First Century", (Invited)
Meridian International Center,
Washington, DC, China, Vietnam,
Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines
1999, ACA Galleries, New York City
1999, Silent Things, Secret Things: Still Life from
Rembrandt to the Millennium", (Invited)
Albuquerque Museum, NM
2000, 101st Annual Members Exhibition, The National
Arts Club, NYC
2000, 87th Annual Exhibition, Allied Artists of America
2000, "68 Years/68 Masters", ACA Galleries, NYC
2001, Allied Artists of America Members Show, The
Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2001, 65th Annual Midyear Exhibition (Invited), The
Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2001, 102nd Annual Members Exhibition, The National
Arts Club, NYC
2002, "True Colors: Meditations on the American
Spirit" (Invited) Meridian International Center
Washington, D.C., The National Arts Club,
NYC; Atlanta, GA, Biloxi, MS, Berlin, Germany,
Turkey, Ireland, and other venues in Europe
2002, Bradford Brinton Memorial Museum Biennial
Invitational Exhibition, Big Horn, WY
2002, 103rd Annual Members Exhibition, The National
Arts Club, NYC
2002, 66th Annual Mid-Year Exhibition (Invited) The
Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2003-05, Allied Artists of America Invitational,
Museum of Texas Tech. University;
Huntsville Museum of Art, AL
Bergstrom-Mahler Museum,WI
Danville Museum Of Fine Arts, VA
McAllen Int. Museum, TX
J. Wayne Stark Gallery, TX
Krasl Art Center, MI
2003, 67th Annual Mid-Year Exhibition (Invited)The
Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2003, Trompe L'Oeil Invitational Ettinger Gallery, NYC
2003, Trompe L'Oeil & Still Life Exhibition, The
Woodson Museum, WI
2003, 104th Annual Members Exhibition The National
Arts Club, NYC
2003, 90th Annual Exhibition Allied Artists of America
2003, Trompe L'Oeil Invitational Rittenhouse
Gallery, PA
2003, Summer Invitational Exhibition Albermarle
Gallery, London, UK 2003
2004, Trompe L'Oeil Invitational Vanier Galleries,
Scottsdale, AZ
2004, The Best of American Realism Marin-Price
Gallery, Chevy Chase, MD
2004, Summer Exhibition Ettinger Gallery, NYC
2004-07, The Salmagundi Club Traveling Exhibition
Traveling to 12 Museums
2004, Trompe L'Oeil Invitational The Philbrook
Museum of Art, OK
2004-2006, Trompe L'Oeil Traveling Exhibition
Indian Hills Community College,IA
Wayne Stark Gallery, TX
The Haggin Museum, CA
Huntsville Museum of Art, AL
Pensacola Museum of Art, FL
City of Portsmouth Museum, VA
Longmont Museum, CO
Krasl Art Center, MI
Bergstrom-Mahler Mus., WI
Lakeview Museum of Arts And Sciences, IL
Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art, PA
2007, The Reality of Things:Trompe l'Oeil in America,
(Invited) Vero Beach Museum of Art, FL
2007, Golf in American Art "A Gentleman's Sport"
(Invited) The Von Liebig Art Center, FL
2008, Lie to the Eye:Trompe l'Oeil
(Invited) Bakersfield Museum of Art, CA
2009, Baseball at Steuben (Invited), Steuben Glass, NYC
2010, Reality Check: Contemporary American Trompe l'oeil
Painting (Invited) Brandywine River Museum,PA
2010, Six New Jersey Masters (Invited) Karl and Helen
Burger Gallery, Kean University, NJ
2012, Paper, Phoenix Art Museum, AZ, "Cowboy Comics"

SELECTED AWARDS AND HONORS

1975, Julius Hallgarten Award, The National Academy
of Design, NYC
1975, Gold Medal of Honor, Allied Artists of America,
62nd Annual Exhibition, NYC
1975, First Prize, The Salmagundi Club, NYC
1982, John-Young Hunter Memorial Award, Allied
Artists of America, 69th Annual Exhibition, NYC
1984, Gold Medal of Honor, Allied Artists of America
71st Annual Exhibition, NYC
1985, John Young Hunter Memorial Award, Allied
Artists of America, 72nd Annual Exhibition, NYC
1989, Emily Lowe Award, Allied Artists of America
76th Annual Exhibition, NYC
1991, Emily Lowe Award, Audubon Artists, 49th
Annual Exhibition, NYC
1991, Gold Medal of Honor, Allied Artists of America
78th Annual Exhibition, NYC
1992, Beatrice Jackson Humphreys Award, Audubon
Artists 50th Annual Exhibition, NYC
1993, Gilmore-Romans Memorial Award, Allied Artists
of America 80th Annual Exhibition, NYC
1994, The Stefan Hirsch Memorial Award, Audubon
Artists 52nd Annual Exhibition, NYC
1997, First Prize, The National Arts Club 99th Annual
1998, President's Award, The Salmagundi Club, NYC
1998, The Salzman Award, The National Arts Club
100th Annual
1998, Gold Medal of Honor, Audubon Artists 56th
Annual Exhibition, NYC
2000, The Alfred Crimi Award, Audubon Artists 58th
Annual Exhibition, NYC
2002, First Prize, The Butler Institute of American Art
66th National Midyear Exhibition, OH
2002, Silver Medal of Honor, Audubon Artists, 60th
Annual Exhibition, NYC
2003, Medal for Lifetime Achievement in American
Art, The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2004, Visual Art Award, The National Arts Club 106th
Annual Exhibition, NYC
2006, Gold Medal of Honor, Allied Artists of America
93rd Annual Exhibition, NYC
2007, Salmagundi Club Medal of Honor, NYC
2007, Gold Medal of Honor, Allied Artists of America
94th Annual Exhibition, NYC
2010, Gold Medal of Honor, National Museum of Sport, IN
2010, Gold Medal of Honor, Allied Artists of America
97th Annual Exhibition, NYC

SELECTED COLLECTIONS
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
Brandywine River Museum, PA
Canton Museum of Art, OH
Springfield Art Museum, MO
Phoenix Art Museum, AZ
Brinton Bradford Memorial and Museum, WY
Montclair Art Museum, NJ
New Jersey State Museum, NJ
The Woodmere Art Museum, PA
New Britain Museum of American Art, CT
The National Arts Club, NY
Salmagundi Club, NY
Boca Raton Museum of Art, FL
MASCO Corporation, MI

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
1974, American Artists Magazine, Feature Article by
W. Fiore
1976, New York Times, NJ Section, David Shirey
1982, Arts Magazine, Helen-Louise Seggerman
1983, New York Times, NJ Section, David Shirey
1985, The Butler Institute of American Art, Essay by
David Shirey
1988, Montclair Art Museum,Essay by Dr.Thomas Folk
1995, The Butler Institute of American Art, Essay
by Dr. Marlene Park
1997, The Best in Oil Painting, Rockport Publishing
1998, ACA Galleries, Essay by Carter Ratcliff
1999, Albuquerque Museum "Silent Things, Secret
Things, Still Life from Rembrandt to the
Millennium", Selma Reuben Holo and Peter Frank
1999, Art News, Stephen May
1999, Springfield Art Museum,Essay by Carter Ratcliff
2000, Daily News, Erbe's Paintings - Trick the Eye,
Treat the Viewer, Mila Andre
2002, International Artist Magazine Feature Article
2004, American Artists Magazine, Feature Article
by Bonnie Iris
2005, American Art Collector
2007, Lowy: The Secret Lives of Frames by
Deborah Davis
2008, The Butler Institute of American Art, Essay
by Dr. Louis A. Zona
2009, Figments of Pigments by Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Art and Antiques Magazine, May 2009
2009, Exhibition Preview, American Art Collector,July 2009
2009, Gary T. Erbe: Master of Levitational Realism by
Regina Kolbe, Antiques and The Arts Weekly,
July 24, 2009, Cover Feature Article
2010, Masterworks from The Butler Institute of American
Art "Basebal Album", pages 141-142

LISTED
Who's Who in America
Who's Who in American Art
Who's Who in the East
Who's Who in the World
Biographical Encyclopedia of American Painters, Sculptures & Engravers of the United States
Davenport's Art Reference & Price Guide

EXHIBITIONS CURATED
1986, Werner Groshans Memorial Exhibition, The
Butler Institute of American Art, OH
The New Jersey State Museum, NJ
1996, Fred Staloff Retrospective Exhibition
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
The James A. Michener Art Museum, PA
1999, 125th Anniversary Salmagundi Club Exhibition
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
Woodmere Art Museum, PA
2000, Paul Ching-Bor Exhibition
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2001, The Allied Artists of America Members
Invitational Exhibition
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2003, "Henry Gasser (1909-1981) Beyond City
Limits" The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
Springfield Art Museum, MO
Morris Museum, NJ,
Seton Hall University, NJ
2003-05, Smith Kramer Fine Arts Allied Artists of
America Invitational Exhibition traveling to 8
Museums across America
2003, Pastel Society of America Invitational
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2004, "The Martino's A Family Legacy"
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
Woodmere Museum, PA
2004-2007, Smith Kramer Fine Arts, The Salmagundi
Club Collection traveling to 12 Museums
across America
2005-2007, Smith Kramer Fine Arts "Trompe L'Oeil: The Art of Illusion" traveling to 13 Museums across
America
2005, Abraham Joel Tobias: "Breaking The Mold"
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2006-2007, "John R. Grabach: Century Man"
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
Springfield Art Museum, MO
Georgia Museum of Art, GA
Morris Museum, NJ
2006, "Gabriella Dellosso: An Artists Journey"
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2007, "W. Carl Burger: Direct Action"
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2007, Allied Artists of America Members Invitational
Bennington Art Center, VT
2007, Henry Gasser Exhibition
Salmagundi Club, NY
2008, John R. Grabach (1880-1981) Paintings
Salmagundi Club

AUTHORED
2003, "Henry Gasser: Beyond City Limits"
American Art Review, December
2006, "John R. Grabach: Century Man"
American Art Review, May

Source: http://www.garyerbe.com/main.htm